Pizza Hut Will Pay You $50K to Travel to NCAA Championships

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For one lucky college sports fan, Pizza Hut is making dreams a reality. Introducing the Pizza Hut All-American, a college sports experience that will take one sports fan on an adventure to celebrate Division I NCAA championships during the 2016—17 season—and they’ll get paid to do it.

In its first year as the Official Pizza Partner of the NCAA, Pizza Hut is looking to give one ultimate college sports fan an opportunity of a lifetime. This fall, Pizza Hut will offer $50,000 to one passionate sports fan to travel to as many Division I NCAA championships as possible, sharing their journey with millions of sports fans everywhere.

“This is one of those rare once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to experience something that no one has done before,” says David Daniels, vice president, media & advertising, Pizza Hut. “We know that college sports fans are as passionate about their teams as we are about pizza, and as the Official Pizza of the NCAA, we felt it was our obligation to bring exclusive Pizza Hut experiences to Division I NCAA championships, especially those that often don’t get the limelight. We cannot wait to send our first-ever Pizza Hut All-American to bring incredible Pizza Hut experiences to these events and celebrate the great fandom that exists across all college sports.”

The Pizza Hut All-American program is part of the pizza restaurant’s broader partnership with the NCAA, Turner Sports, and CBS Sports, which makes Pizza Hut the “Official Pizza of the NCAA.” Pizza Hut will support intercollegiate athletics and student-athlete achievements through marketing programs and initiatives at multiple NCAA championships events. The partnership provides Pizza Hut the ability to use official NCAA marks and media, as well as the opportunity activate at official NCAA events, including NCAA March Madness, College World Series, Frozen Four, and more. As part of the partnership, Pizza Hut will activate around all 90 NCAA championships this year, from basketball and hockey, to bowling and beach volleyball, and beyond.

The partnership was facilitated through CBS Sports and Turner, which manage and collaborate on the NCAA’s Corporate Champion and Partner program.

“NCAA student-athletes and fans have tremendous passion for the college sports that they love and we’re pleased that Pizza Hut will tap into that passion as a new NCAA corporate partner,” says Joni Comstock, acting NCAA executive vice president for championships and alliances. “Pizza Hut has a high level of excellence, whether it’s making great pizza or supporting educational initiatives. We’re very pleased to welcome them into the NCAA family and look forward to their activities surrounding the Pizza Hut All-American at NCAA championships throughout the year.”

“Pizza Hut is an iconic brand, and one that is a natural fit for the excitement and culture surrounding college sports,” says Katy Mollica, vice president of NCAA Partnerships, Turner Sports. “We are excited to partner with them in bringing unique brand experiences like Pizza Hut All-American to life across television, digital and at major events surrounding NCAA championships.”

To help kick off the search for the first Pizza Hut All-American, Pizza Hut has enlisted the help of Shane Battier, a star professional basketball player and member of the 2001 Duke University NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship-winning team.

“The Pizza Hut All-American opportunity is an incredibly exciting opportunity,” Battie says. “To have a chance to be part of all of these championships is pretty special. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of candidates are out there.”

The ideal Pizza Hut All-American talent will demonstrate passion for all NCAA sports and will be outgoing, enthusiastic and eager to share their All-American journey with fans online. The right talent will also be social media savvy, with a proven track record of creating great content. Pizza Hut will narrow the list of talent to three and put them through the paces of what an activation might be like. Pizza Hut will also enable its social communities to partake in the interview processes with some portions being live streamed and allowing fans to submit interview questions.

Sports fans interested in applying to be the Pizza Hut All-American can enter online. Applications will be accepted through November 6.

News and information presented in this release has not been corroborated by QSR, Food News Media, or Journalistic, Inc.